▪️By Special Correspondent
He is the right person at the right place, a blessing for the African continent
A press release dated Dec. 17, 2021, from the Anthills Episcopal Conference Secretariat, Port of Spain, Trinidad, has announced the appointment of His Grace, The Most Revrend Arcbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu as the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Specialised Institutions in Geneva and at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and Holy See Representative at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Pope Francis made the appointment on December 17, 2021.
The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations Office and Specialised Agencies in Geneva was established by Pope Paul VI on February 1st 1967. At that point in time the Holy See was already member of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) since 1951 as well as of the United Nations Conference on Commerce and Development (UNCTAD) since 1964. In 1967 the Holy See became Observer to the World Health Organization (WHO) (1967), to the International Organization of Labor (ILO), to UNAIDS, to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and to the International Organization for Migrants (IOM).
Ach Bishop Nwachukwu
It became Observer to the World Trade Organization on July 16, 1997. The Holy See is Member State of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO, 1974), and of the International Telecommunications Union by virtue of Vatican City State. The Holy See is part to the Geneva Conventions and member of the International Conference of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent (ICRC).
Through these variegated agencies and ambassadorial windows of intervention and mediation, the Holy See exercises its mission of the evangelization of the social realities touching such aspects as “The Freedom of religion and belief, Human rights, Integral Human Development, Economy and Labor, Migranta and Refugees, Peace and Disarmament, Health, Trade” etc.
While describing Archbishop Fortunatus as the “right person at the right place”, Rev Fr Prof Gerald Ani added that as the first African to occupy the position, he was expected to do well on the job due to he has always helped and defended the poor and the less privileged.
“The first African to hold the office, His Grace Fortunatus would do definitely so well because of the wonderful qualities with which he is imbued: humilty, wisdom, competence, diligence, doggedness, generosity.
“Born at Ntigha, Abia State, Nigeria, on May 10, 1960, Monsignor. Nwachukwu studied theology and canon law in the seminary and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Aba on June 17, 1984. He studied diplomacy at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy and entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on July 1, 1994. His first assignments were in Ghana, Paraguay, Algeria, and Geneva. He then worked in Rome in the Second Section of the Secretariat of State.
“At the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum he completed a doctorate in canon law in 1996 with a dissertation entitled “Canons 364 and 365, the Holy See and the State of Israel: an example of the logic of pontifical diplomacy.” This profile reveals preparation, competence, experience, capcity and passion. In the summer of this year 2021, he was in Nigeria where he organized a conference on “Osu Concept” and the promotion of the human right at Enugu, and he also presented an odenigbo lecture in Owerri. All through his periods of service round the globe, he has always helped and defended the poor and the less privileged. He is the right man at the right place.
“After Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria has another illustrous son at the World Trade Organization (WTO). We are proud of him and we wish him success in the new mission.
“Really a wonderful development, a blessing for the African continent”, Rev Prof. Gerald concluded.
